The 1969 John Wayne film entitled True Grit is still one of my father’s favorite movies. It seems to be on the television almost every week, and he never passes an opportunity to watch it. As impactful as that movie was to western fans, I have a new appreciation for the words true grit.
I was recently served a bowl of grits that were as impactful as John Wayne’s movie. These grits should be given an Academy Award for food. I was at a friend’s farm for brunch, and the caterer, Mac Burt, offered to make me a “Grit Bowl.” It was something special -- a bowl of the most flavorful and delicious grits topped with a variety of delicious add-ons.
I want to start by saying that not all grits are created equal. This is something that, as Southerners we know, but it is important to reinforce this fact at the beginning.
Let us consider our options for grits and talk about why I have at least three different kinds of grits (white and yellow) in my cupboard (wow, I am a Southerner)
1. Instant Grits: Many people use these little envelopes of grits. You add a cup of boiling water and have a piping hot bowl of grits in an instant. Shame on all of us because we all know we have had them and even made the envelope for a quick breakfast. These are basically flavorless, and no matter how much butter or cheese you add, they still are not that good.
Instant grits are to grits, what wine cooler is to wine. Yes, we have been there and done that, but now we are older and wiser. We need to go with the real thing. Let’s drink real wine and let’s eat real grits.
2. Quick Grits (sometimes called five-minute grits): These have been my go-to grits for making cheese grits casserole or for any recipe involving grits. They cook fairly quickly and can make for a good weeknight meal.
3. Stone-Ground Grits: This is the variety served by the master grit chef, Mac Burt. Asking for his specific recipe, Mac told me that he really does not have one. (I guess good chefs rarely do.) He soaks the grits overnight and then cooks them slowly, adding more water as needed, until they are done much like cooking risotto. He told me that depending on the grind of the grits that it can take two to four hours to cook.
During this lengthy cooking, he is able to extract every bit of corn flavor out of the grits and create something worthy of his efforts. Mac’s grits were simply perfect. He specifically uses grits from the 230-year-old water mill in Kemper County called Sciple’s Mill. The grits are sold at the Mill and Williams Brothers General Store in Philadelphia.
While I do not have Mac’s specific recipe, I did find a slow cooker version for cooking stone-ground grits that works pretty well. For the real thing, hire Mac Burt for your next gathering and get ready for a good meal.
Slow Cooker Stone Ground Grits
1 ½ cups stoneground grits
6 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups cream
Lightly grease a six-quart slow cooker or crockpot. Stir together grits, water and salt and cook on low for seven to eight hours stirring occasionally. Stir in butter, cream, and additional salt, if needed. Serve immediately.
These grits can be enjoyed alone or in Mac’s Grit Bowl. At the brunch, he offered everyone little pieces of paper to write down their toppings. Mac had tons of possible toppings: bacon, ham, scallions, spinach, veggie sausage, tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, squash, cilantro, and fresh eggs that he cooked to perfection and put on the top. These bowls were perfect for brunch, and they would make a great and easy idea for a brunch party.
My mind has been racing with all the fun ways to serve grit bowls. I realized that you do not need to consider grits for breakfast only. Think about how delicious a big bowl of grits would be for dinner on a cold winter night. Toppings could include turnip greens, chopped ham, sautéed onions, roasted sausage, mushrooms, sautéed vegetables, caramelized onions, or other toppings. I think a local barbecue restaurant offers a grit bowl that is topped with barbecue pork, barbecue sauce, and fried onion rings.
The bottom line is that when the grits are good, anything tastes great on it.
All of the following recipes can be made with any variety of grits. You may need to adjust the water/broth amounts and cooking time.
Katty’s Grits and Loose Beef
This is my favorite comfort food and go to meal on any cold wet night.
The grits:
For every cup of boiling water add a rounded 1/4 cup grits (I normally use quick grits) and a dash of salt. Let the grits come back to a boil then put on low heat, cover with a top and let cook very slowly until thickened Add a small pat of butter and a little cold water and stir briskly. Replace on low heat with the top on the pan. Check in three or four minutes. Correct the seasonings for your own taste, add more butter if you like and beat a little. It will nice and creamy.
For the “Loose Beef’:
The amount of meat does not matter as this is done to suit your own taste. Brown beef (I use ground round or sirloin) in skillet being sure to break it up so there will not be large lumps. Add water to cover cooking 15 to 20 minutes keeping the water level with the meat. This will render out all the fat. Drain the meat juice into another container and set meat aside. If possible, refrigerate the meat juice until you can take off the fat. I usually do this much the day before I plan to use the meat. Return the meat and defatted liquid to a degreased skillet and cook slowly adding beef bouillon paste, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, and fresh lemon juice to taste.
The finished product should have enough “au jus” showing through the loose beef to make you sure that you can ladle it onto the grits by the spoonful into its own little indention you made in the grits on each plate.
Baked Cheese Grits Casserole
This casserole can be made several days ahead and either reheated or baked when needed. It is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
2 cups grits (before cooking)
8 cups water
1 stick butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
4 eggs
Cook grits in water according to package instructions. Add in remaining ingredients. Pour in a well-greased casserole dish and bake for 35-40 minutes until grits are fluffy and top is slightly browned.
Shrimp and Grits
For the shrimp mixture:
2 slices of bacon
1-pound unpeeled, medium size raw shrimp
Salt and pepper to taste or Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Hot sauce to taste
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 teaspoon of the drippings in the skillet. Peel and devein shrimp. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper or Cajun seasoning and dredge in flour.
Sauté mushrooms in the hot bacon drippings with additional oil, if needed. Cook for about five minutes or until tender. Add green onions and sauté two additional minutes. Add shrimp and garlic and sauté two minutes or until shrimp are lightly browned and no longer translucent.
Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook two more minutes stirring to loosen any particles on the bottom of the skillet. Spoon shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits and sprinkled with a crumbled bacon.
For the cheese grits:
1 1/3 cup water
1 - 14-ounce canned chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick grits
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 4 dashes of hot sauce
black pepper to taste
Bring first four ingredients to boil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. When it has come to a boil, gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until smooth. Stir in cheddar cheese and next three ingredients. Add more salt if needed.
Primos Style Grits
Primos grits have always been a family favorite and this recipe is as close to theirs as I can get. Primos creamy grits cannot be topped. I am not sure what magic they put in them but it may be the cream. When I need to make mine extra rich and creamy, here is what I do:
Creamy Grits:
Cook one cup stone-ground grits, according to package directions, then just before serving, stir in about ½ cup heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a tablespoon of butter on top.
Ina Garten‘s Parmesan Polenta for Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ina calls her grits “polenta” and pairs them with roasted Italian meatballs and tomato sauce. I was very skeptical when I first read her recipe, but it is absolutely fantastic. Serving spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd or party is a nightmare with boiling the water and dividing out the pasta. I make too much or too little pasta, and always make a big mess. This combination is perfect because you can make the polenta ahead and keep it warm on stove top until the guests are ready to eat. Ina’s philosophy is about spending time with your guests, not spending time in the kitchen prepping during the party.
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups stone ground cornmeal (or grits)
1½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt (if using regular salt, reduce amount to 1½ teaspoons)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper to taste
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons crème fraiche (I use sour cream)
3 tablespoons butter, diced
Combine the chicken stock and garlic in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and very slowly whisk in the grits. Whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps.
Once the grits have been added, add kosher salt and pepper. Simmer over very low heat for about 10 -15 minutes, stirring almost constantly until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you’re stirring. Once the polenta is creamy and cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, crème fraiche (or sour cream) and butter. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.
Polenta can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. When ready to serve, spoon the polenta into a large sauce pan. Slowly heat and add extra chicken stock or water. Cook until creamy and hot.
